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The Mayor’s Scholars Undergraduate Program (Mayor’s Scholars) was created to support District of Columbia students who want to enroll in an area college or university to pursue their first associate or bachelor’s degree. Before a student can complete an application for the Mayor’s Scholars program, OSSE recommends that the student first determine if they are eligible for the Mayor’s Scholars program using the information below.
Applicant Eligibility & Program Requirements
To be eligible to apply for and participate in the Mayor’s Scholars program, you must meet certain residency, academic, financial need, and enrollment requirements. After you determine that you are eligible to apply for the Mayor’s Scholars program, you can prepare to complete the online application in APS. To complete the application, you must show that you meet residency, academic, financial need, and enrollment requirements described below. Each requirement is related to a document you will submit in the online application in APS.
If you have questions about these requirements or the documents you need for the online application, please email [email protected].
Residency & Domicile Requirements
To participate in and receive funding from the Mayor’s Scholars program, you must have been a resident of the District of Columbia for the last 12 months preceding enrollment in your first year of college.
Residency & Domicile Requirement Verification
Use the table linked below to identify the documents you will need to provide. ( Please provide each document you need in one of the following formats: .doc, .docx, .pdf, .jpeg). Please choose one from Column A AND one from Column B.
Mayor’s Scholars Undergraduate Program Supporting Documents Guide & Checklist
If you have completed a 2025-26 award year DCTAG application and been deemed eligible for DCTAG award funding, you are not required to submit residency and domicile supporting documents again for the Mayor’s Scholars application for the 2025-26 cycle. If you are not eligible for the DCTAG program, or did not complete a DCTAG application for the 2025-26 cycle, you must submit supporting documents from the list linked above with your Mayor’s Scholars application for the 2025-26 cycle.
Academic Requirements
To participate in and receive funding from the Mayor’s Scholars program, you must meet the criteria of one of the applicant types listed below and meet all academic eligibility requirements associated with the applicant type. OSSE uses this information to understand your commitment to higher education to show us that the funds will be used to support progress toward completion of a degree.
Mayor’s Scholars Applicant Types
To be eligible to apply for and participate in the Mayor’s Scholars program, students must fall into one of the applicant types below:
- Returning awardees of the Mayor’s Scholars Undergraduate Program were awarded funds during the school year immediately prior to the current application season (example: Student received Mayor’s Scholars funding in the 2023-24 school year and is applying for 2024-25 funding).
- New applicants to the Mayor’s Scholars Undergraduate Program are or will be: A graduate (or expected graduate) of a public high school in the District of Columbia (including District of Columbia Public Schools and public charters), within the years 2010-2025 (15 years preceding the submission of their application);
OR
A District of Columbia resident who passed the GED exam or earned a diploma through the National External Diploma Program (NEDP), within the years 2010-2025 (15 years preceding the submission of their application)
Academic Eligibility Requirements for Mayor’s Scholars Applicants
- New applicants to the Mayor’s Scholars program who are current or recent high school students (have graduated or will graduate between 2010-2025) must have graduated with a final grade point average (GPA) of 2.5 and must provide their final transcript as a part of their application to the Mayor’s Scholars program. If an applicant provides a current, but not final (post-graduation) high school transcript, Mayor’s Scholars staff will request a final transcript prior to approval for the program, if an applicant meets all other program eligibility requirements.
- New applicants who have earned/are pursuing a GED/NEDP at the time of application to the Mayor’s Scholars program (have earned or will earn the GED/NEDP between 2010-2025) must provide a letter of recommendation from a teacher, professor, program director, principal, dean, advisor, or supervisor at the high school, employer, or community-based organization.
- Returning applicants to the Mayor’s Scholars Undergraduate Program must provide their final college or university transcript (unofficial or official). Each college or university has their own SAP standards and/or definition, but typically, SAP requires a GPA of 2.0 or higher in addition to minimum credits earned.
- New applicants who are already enrolled in a Mayor’s Scholars-approved college or university, but are not current Mayor’s Scholars awardees, must have either graduated from high school (and earned a diploma) with a final GPA of 2.5 between 2010-2025 or earned a GED/NEDP between 2010-2025. Those who graduated high school between 2010-2025 must provide their final high school transcript as a part of their application. Those who earned their GED/NEDP between 2010-2025 must provide a letter of recommendation from a teacher, professor, program director, principal, dean, advisor, or supervisor at the high school, employer, or community-based organization as a part of their application. All applicants in this category must provide a final college or university transcript (unofficial or official) to demonstrate a college GPA of 2.0 or higher from their most recent semester.
Once enrolled in an eligible college or university an applicant must meet Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) requirements each semester to maintain academic eligibility for Mayor’s Scholars. Online courses are allowable if they satisfy institution requirements for SAP. If a program participant does not meet SAP at the end of an academic year, they will not be eligible to re-apply for Mayor’s Scholars the next academic year. However, after one year of ineligibility based on academic minimums, an applicant may re-apply for Mayor’s Scholars funds if their college or university determines they have met SAP requirements. In order to be eligible to apply for the upcoming award year and to continue to receive funding in subsequent years, Mayor’s Scholars must earn a minimum of 12 credits per academic year (if pursuing an associate degree) and 24 credits per academic year (if pursuing a bachelor’s degree).
Financial Need Requirements
To participate in and receive funding from the Mayor’s Scholars program, you must meet all financial eligibility requirements listed below. Typically, an applicant's financial need is determined by their parent/guardian’s financial need. OSSE follows guidance and policy of the federal government in regard to student/parent dependency. Eligible applicants must demonstrate financial need. The income thresholds that OSSE uses to determine financial need of applicants to the Mayor’s Scholars program are detailed below and updated annually. In the 2022-23 award year, Mayor’s Scholars shifted from using Expected Family Contribution (EFC) to determine financial need to using the Federal Poverty Guidelines. The income thresholds listed below are for the 2025-26 award year.
Financial Eligibility Requirements for Mayor’s Scholars Applicants
Applicants must have a District of Columbia household taxable income below 300 percent of the poverty guidelines updated periodically in the Federal Register by the US Department of Health and Human Services under the authority of 42 U.S.C. 9902(2).
Table 2. Income Eligibility Table 2025-26 Award Year
| Household Size | Maximum Annual Income |
| 3 or fewer | $79,950 |
| 4 | $96,450 |
| 5 | $112,950 |
| 6 | $129,450 |
| 7 | $145,950 |
| 8 | $162,450 |
For families/households with more than eight persons, add $16,500 for each additional person.
Source: 2025 Federal Poverty Guidelines (updated annually in January)
Applicants can establish income eligibility through District of Columbia tax documents or other acceptable documents listed in the Mayor’s Scholars Undergraduate Program Supporting Documents Guide and Checklist. Applicants can also be deemed income eligible based on their participation in the District of Columbia’s Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program or the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Applicants may also demonstrate need through receipt of services from District of Columbia’s homeless services continuity of care system.
Enrollment Requirements
To participate in and receive funding from the Mayor’s Scholars program, students must enroll or currently be enrolled at an approved college or university. For the 2025-26 award year, the following colleges and universities are eligible:
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*List updated January 2025
Note: If the list is updated and an institution is removed, OSSE will work with students currently enrolled at that institution who meet all other eligibility requirements to determine eligibility upon a case-by-case basis.
To participate in and receive funding from the Mayor’s Scholars program, students must be pursuing their first associate degree OR first bachelor’s degree. This must be the first postsecondary degree of that type that a student will earn.
- Returning applicants who have completed an associate degree and are seeking to return to the Mayor’s Scholars program to pursue their first bachelor’s degree can apply as a returning student to the Mayor’s Scholars program, but maximum award caps and time limits still apply. An individual who has previously received a bachelor’s degree will not be eligible to apply for a Mayor’s Scholars Undergraduate Program award.
Required Application Documents and Prerequisites
Whether you are a returning applicant or a new applicant, before you apply for Mayor’s Scholars, you must:
- Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), if eligible.
- Complete the DC Tuition Assistance Grant (DCTAG) application, if eligible.
- Gather and prepare to upload electronic copies of all required documents in the table below in one of the following formats: .doc, .docx, .pdf, .jpeg
Required Application Documents
| Applicant Type | Required Application Documents |
| Returning awardee |
|
| New applicant – recent (2010-2025) high school graduate (or anticipated graduate) |
|
| New applicant – District of Columbia resident who passed the GED or earned a diploma through the National External Diploma Program (NEDP), within the years 2010-2025 |
|
| New applicant – already enrolled in Mayor’s Scholars-approved university or college, but not yet a Mayor’s Scholars awardee – recent (2010-2025) high school graduate |
|
| New applicant – already enrolled in Mayor’s Scholars-approved university or college, but not yet a Mayor’s Scholars awardee –District of Columbia resident who passed the GED or earned a diploma through the National External Diploma Program (NEDP), within the years 2010-2025 |
|
Application Process for Eligible Students
Great job! If you have reviewed the requirements, completed your FAFSA and DCTAG applications (if eligible), and gathered the documents you need to show that you meet the eligibility requirements for application to the Mayor’s Scholars program, then thenext step is to complete the online application. The Mayor’s Scholars application is available on the Application for Postsecondary Studies (APS). As a part of completing the application, you will be required to submit your personal information (name, contact information, parent/guardian information) through the online scholarship application. You will also be required to provide the required eligibility documents.
Most applicants will complete the application between February and August in the year before they will get the funding. For example, if you apply in April 2025 and are eligible, you will receive the scholarship for the 2025-26 school year. The application deadline for the Mayor’s Scholars program for the 2025-26 cycle is Aug. 15, 2025, at 3 p.m. The application will open on Feb. 3, 2025.
Application Timeline & Deadlines (2025-26 award year)
All applications for the Mayor’s Scholars program (including the upload of all supporting documents required to determine an applicant’s program eligibility) must be submitted before the application deadline. The application deadline for the Mayor’s Scholars program for the 2025-26 award year cycle is Aug. 15, 2025, at 3 p.m. The application will open on Feb. 3, 2025. Applicants are expected to submit all documents via electronic upload in the APS system.
Mayor’s Scholars 2025-26 Application Timeline
Traditional School Year | 2025-26 award year
| Application Opens | Feb. 3, 2025 |
| Application Due |
Aug. 15, 2025, at 3 p.m. |
| Award Amount | Up to $4,000 |
| Award Period (Enrollment) | 2025-26 school year |
In the event that OSSE receives more eligible applicants than can be awarded based on the funding available, OSSE will prioritize returning awardees first and then consider new applicants whose applications will be prioritized based on the order they were submitted. Therefore, we encourage applicants to submit their applications as early as possible.
For additional assistance, please contact the Mayor’s Scholars Undergraduate Program manager at [email protected] or (202) 741-6406.
Award Information
All applicants will be notified of their award status via email, on a rolling basis (this includes notification of denial because of ineligibility for any reason). Applicants on the waitlist who are granted an award will be notified via email.
OSSE will work with eligible applicant’s Mayor’s Scholars-approved college or university to process any award payment in advance of the semester enrolled. The actual award amount will be determined by the college or university and may be cancelled if tuition and fees will be covered by other funding sources (e.g., Federal Pell Grant, scholarships, etc.).
Maximum Award Amounts and Time Limits
Once you meet eligibility requirements for the Mayor’s Scholars Undergraduate Program, you may receive funding on a first-come, first-served basis and as outlined under the program’s priorities, which are subject to change. OSSE reserves the right to make final funding determinations based on (1) information submitted regarding the student’s financial need, and (2) available funds. Maximum award amounts and time limits are related to the type of degree a student is pursuing
The Mayor’s Scholars Undergraduate Program provides funding to applicants pursuing their first associate degree or their first bachelor’s degrees as detailed in the table below.
Mayor’s Scholars Award Amount Caps
| Program Type | Annual Award Cap | Time Limit | Lifetime Award Cap |
| Associate or two-year degree | up to $4,000 | up to four years | $16,000 |
| Bachelor’s or four-year degree | up to $4,000 | up to six years | $24,000 |
The annual award caps include tuition and fees for students enrolled in coursework at a Mayor’s Scholars-approved college or university. If you have not yet received the annual maximum award for your institution type, you may be eligible to receive Mayor’s Scholars funding for tuition covering summer courses.
Mayor’s Scholars award funding may cover developmental and/or remedial courses.
If you transfer from an associate degree program to a bachelor’s degree program, award caps (both annual and lifetime), as well as time limits, will reflect the bachelor’s degree program limits and caps.
No Mayor’s Scholars recipient may receive more than six years of awards total (the time limit represents years of receiving awards not the time since the first award was received). Similarly, no recipient may receive more than $24,000 total. As is stated above, if you transfer from an associate degree program to a bachelor’s degree program, award caps (both annual and lifetime), as well as time limits, will reflect the bachelor’s degree program limits and caps.
The Mayor’s Scholars award funding will pay for tuition and fees until a student’s maximum award amount is reached.
Applying Award to Tuition and Fees
OSSE will provide Mayor’s Scholars award funding directly to your Mayor’s Scholars-approved college or university to cover tuition and fee costs. You will not receive a reimbursement or overage check from this award funding. Your Mayor’s Scholars-approved college or university will be required to submit a payment request to OSSE each semester, with a detailed cost breakdown. OSSE will communicate with the financial aid office at your Mayor’s Scholars-approved college or university with this deadline and payment request information.
Transfers
If you transfer between institutions mid-year, you should log in to the Application for Postsecondary Studies (APS) portal to complete the process for Mayor’s Scholars transfer to your university or college. If you have questions about the transfer process, contact Melanie Fleming at [email protected] or (202) 741-6406.
Mayor’s Scholars program staff will also have an opportunity to review for potential transfer students at each approved college or university upon receiving each semester’s invoice. If a Mayor’s Scholars transfer student is inaccurately listed on the approved college or university’s invoice, Mayor’s Scholars program staff will remove that student prior to disbursement.
If you transfer from an associate degree program to a bachelor’s degree program, Mayor's Scholars award caps (both annual and lifetime), as well as time limit will reflect the highest limits and caps (bachelor’s level). No Mayor’s Scholars recipient may receive more than six years of awards total (the time limit represents years of receiving awards not the time since the first award was received). For additional information, review the section on Maximum Award Amounts and Time Limits.
If you transfer to a college or university that is not Mayor’s Scholars-approved, you will no longer be eligible for Mayor’s Scholars funding.
Mayor’s Scholars Student Responsibilities
Mayor’s Scholars award funding recipients are responsible for completing the following tasks to participate in the program.
1. Please email (or upload to an associated portal or information system, if available) a copy of your Mayor’s Scholars award letter to your college or university’s financial aid office as soon as possible, so it can be applied to your invoice. OSSE also recommends keeping the original for your records.
Please note: It is the student’s responsibility to work with their college or university to ensure payment requests are submitted in a timely manner. Untimely or improperly submitted payment requests may prevent an eligible student from receiving their Mayor’s Scholars funding award or from receiving their funding award in a timely fashion. Colleges and universities must agree not to request from or charge any student a fee for processing or handling any application, form, or data required to determine a student’s eligibility for, and amount of, financial assistance, including reimbursement to OSSE for amounts over the lifetime and annual award amounts and timelines.
2. Stay focused on your academic goals. Remember, Mayor’s Scholars funding is conditional and may be canceled at any time if eligibility requirements are not met.
As a Mayor’s Scholars awardee, in order to be eligible to apply for the upcoming award year and to continue to receive funding in subsequent years, you must earn a minimum of 12 credits per academic year (if pursuing an associate’s degree) and 24 credits per academic year (if pursuing a bachelor’s degree). Additionally, you must maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP). SAP is successful completion of coursework as defined by your Mayor’s Scholars-approved college or university (which may include a minimum number of credits completed and minimum GPA). If your circumstances vary, or if you have questions about maintaining academic eligibility, please contact the Mayor’s Scholars Undergraduate Program manager at [email protected] or (202) 741-6406.
Appeals for Reconsideration
If you apply for Mayor’s Scholars funding and staff determine you are ineligible, you may request that Mayor’s Scholars staff reconsider the decision. To request an appeal of the decision, you must use the “Request for Reconsideration” feature in APS. Appeal request packets must be submitted through APS. Only documents submitted in the APS for the 2025-26 academic year will be considered in the appeal process. All reconsideration requests must be submitted via APS within 15 business days from the date of your ineligibility notification.
A designated OSSE team member will review your documentation and provide you with a written response documenting the results of the appeal process via email within 10 business days of your appeal being received. The results of the appeal process are final.